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Biju Govind
Verified
Chief of Bureau, The Hindu
Southern Asia
Beats
Biography
Nothing can be more fulfilling than chasing and realising a childhood dream. This is how I became a journalist. All through the 26 years in journalism, I have found it an undying passion, a never-ending quest for truth and a personal crusade for upholding human dignity. It all began when Zita, my English teacher in school, spotted my talent for writing. Her advice to read newspapers regularly set me off. Before long, I made it to the editorial board of the school magazine. Later, I decided to study literature and journalism even as my peers chose to pursue engineering and medical courses. After finishing university, I left for New Delhi, the capital of India, a hub of journalism. I joined United News of India, a news agency, as an intern. Pleased with my three-month internship, my trainers allowed me to do independent stories. I covered a preview of the tableaux of the Republic Day, a prerogative enjoyed by staffers. Journalism was growing in me. The opportunity to have a front-row seat to history and be an agent of change was irresistibly tempting. Rejection letters during my hunt for a job did not break my heart. My efforts paid off. I was hired as a trainee in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala, by Indian Express, a national daily. I was soon made staffer and transferred to the newspaper’s bureau in Kochi. I covered civic issues, politics and the crime beat. I was assigned to cover a three-day event attended by Sonia Gandhi, chief of the ruling Congress party, at Lakshadweep. The experience I had at the Indian Express helped me get a job in The Hindu in 2001. I was assigned to cover development, crime and civic affairs in Kozhikode. The subjects I wrote about included harnessing resources channelled from Central and international money lending agencies, including the Manila-based Asian Development Bank. Covering the Marad riots that broke out in a village in 2002 and the massacre of nine people of a particular community a year later was a big challenge. These had forced about 200 families of another religious community to flee the region. The reporting demanded ruthless honesty as the issues being covered were deeply sensitive. It had to be subtly forceful and effective to elicit a response from the government in the form of a rehabilitation package that would bring the two warring communities together. In 2008, The Hindu selected me for attending a weeklong workshop on conflict reporting organised by the Press Institute of India and the International Committee of Red Cross. The participants were drawn from throughout the country having diverse cultural and religious background. Another biggest challenge was covering the assassination of T.P Chandrasekharan a dissent leader of the Communist Party of India- Marxist in Kozhikode on 4 May 2012.
Content
Company Info
The Hindu
The Hindu is a prominent English-language daily newspaper based in Chennai, India. Established in 1878, it transitioned to a daily format in 1889 and has been influential in Indian media, particularly during the country's struggle for independence. The newspaper is owned by Kasturi and Sons Limited, which has maintained its editorial independence since acquiring it in 1905. The Hindu offers comprehensive coverage of national and international news, including politics, business, science, and culture. It features regional supplements and a Tamil-language edition called The Hindu Tamil. The publication also includes specialized offerings such as Business Line, a daily financial newspaper, Frontline, a fortnightly magazine, and Sportstar, a weekly sports magazine. With a readership of over 5.3 million, The Hindu is recognized for its credible and factual reporting, serving a diverse audience that includes general readers, business professionals, and academics.
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
'+91 44285 76300
Founded: 1878